(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a roof component for a vehicle having a detachably attachable roof panel to be fitted in an opening formed in one part of the roof component. More particularly, the invention is concerned with a latching device for joining the abovementioned detachably attachable roof panel with the opening portion of the roof component in the vehicle, thereby attempting to prevent disjointure of a pivot shaft due to unexpected shrinkage of a link connecting shaft and to secure mounting and dismounting of the roof panel by release of the latch with both hands.
(b) Description of Prior Arts
It has already been known that, in automobiles and other vehicles with roof, an opening portion is formed in one part of the vehicle roof for ventilating and lighting of the vehicle cabin, and the opening portion is covered with a detachably attachable roof panel. And, this detachably attachable roof panel, besides its detaching from, and attaching to, the roof opening, possesses a hinge function at its engaging part between the front edge of the roof panel and the inner peripheral brim of the roof opening with a view to raising its rear edge to a certain definite height to form a ventilating slit therebetween.
Explaining this structure in more detail, in reference to FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawing, a tongue-shaped hinge member 4 is projectively provided on the front edge 32 of the detachably attachable roof panel 3, and this hinge member is inserted into a groove of a hinge receiving member 5 provided at a position opposite to the hinge member to be engaged with it, while the rear edge 31 of the roof panel 3 is joined with the inner peripheral brim 21 of the roof opening by a toggle type latch 6.
The toggle type latch 6 is mounted at its one link 61 on the detachably attachable roof panel 3 through a pivot shaft 7, and, at its other link 62 on the roof component 1 through a pivot shaft 8. An operating handle 611 is integrally formed on the link 61 which is connected with the abovementioned detachably attachalbe roof panel 3.
The connecting link 62 with the roof component 1 is provided in pair at both left and right sides of the peripheral edge of the roof opening, and is connected with the other link 61 with a common doubly telescoping shaft 9 so that the roof panel may oscillate integrally at both left and right sides.
The connecting shaft 9 common to the links 61, 62 can be extended telescopically and contracted, and is maintained in a fitted state to a bearing 11 at the roof side of the pivot shaft 8 of the link 62.
When the above-mentioned link connecting shaft 9 is contracted against the spring 10, the pivot shaft 8 integral with the link 62 is pulled off the bearing 11 through the link 62, whereby the roof panel 3 can be removed from the roof opening as shown in FIG. 1.
This type of latching device, however, has conventionally been subjected to exposure to outside such that a spring to maintain the slip-fitting condition of the pivot shaft 8 to the bearing 10 is wound around the connecting shaft 9, and others. Such exposed arrangement of the spring might cause various troubles such that it may have fingers or foreign materials bitten therein when they are in touch with the spring, or gets rusted, or apprehensively gets off its place. Moreover, it spoils the outer appearance of the device and reduced its value as commodity.